UPDATE: Clark has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Liberty, per ESPN.
Injuries have become a consistent problem for Caitlin Clark this season. The Indiana Fever star is back on the injury report and listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup with the New York Liberty due to a right groin issue.
This issue popped up late in last night’s 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun. Clark executed a backdoor pass to Kelsey Mitchell but then pulled up after the fact, holding her groin area. The reigning Rookie of the Year was emotional and visibly frustrated as she made her way to the bench in pain. She has missed five games due to a groin issue and five games due to a quad problem already this season.
There is no clear update from the team at this point, outside of Clark being listed as questionable. But one would think the Fever will be cautious with their star, given the other problems that have popped up this season. It is also worth noting that Clark is scheduled to participate in the WNBA three-point contest on Friday and the All-Star Game on Saturday as part of the All-Star weekend festivities. This issue puts these plans in doubt as well.
For the time being, the issue is not as significant as Clark seemed to fear. The outlook for the Fever alters drastically without her, and this would be a huge hit to the entire WNBA’s plans this weekend if Clark is unable to participate. After never missing a game during her time at Iowa and suiting up for all 40 games as a rookie, Clark has already missed nine regular-season games and the Commissioner’s Cup championship this season.
The game will take place with or without Clark, and the Liberty are a tough challenge for Indiana even while the Fever are at full strength. Looking at the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, New York enters as 10-point favorites and listed as -470 favorites on the moneyline. The Fever hold +360 odds of getting the outright win with the game total set at 163.
Stay tuned for more updates on Clark.
